Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-05-01
ELECTRO PLATED C0RPSES
A SCHEME THAT oUTRlvAlS THE
MUMMlES OF EGYPT.

Hew Application OF an Old Principle.
Making a Metallic shroud-showing on
Ones silver Plated Arc~estry-some
Great Possibilities
An ingenious Philadelphian has devised
Q process for the preservation Of bodies,
which will cause a blush Of envy and
modification to mantle the wrinkled
cheek of the most ancient mummy the
tombs Of Egypt can produce. BY this
new method future generations may have
the pleasure Of gazing upon their ancestry
In a close semblance of their natural form,
with shape and outline carefully pre-
served and the whole body beautilled be-
yond The utmost possibilities of nature.
No more will departed friends and rela-
DIVES be treasured up as bundles Of rags
and bones or as pinches OF ashes in ciner-
AIRY urns, but in the full form and size Of
their ante-mortem existence. The means
by which this wonderful transformation is
TO be accomplished is but a new applica.
ton Of an old principle long in use in me-
chanic arts. IL is simply the old and IA
miliar process of ~electro-plating, which
furnishes modern households with so
many articles of ornament and utility.
The method of its application in the
preservation Of bodies is as follows: The
corpse is first thoroughly washed with
alcohol or with a solution Of caustic pot
ash, followed by very dilute nitric acid, in
order to cleanse the body and remove all
traces Of oily or greasy exudatiQns. Then
the entire surface Of the body, from which
all hair mnst be entirely removed, is
busted over with finely powdered plum
bago, care being taken 10 cover every por-
ton Of the surface. As the purpose'of the
plnmbago is TO furnish a conducting sur
face any uncovered spot upon the corpse
would cause a break in the plating.
METALLIC sIRoUD.
The Africanized remnant Of humanity
Is then immersed in a bath of metallic
solution containing a lump of the metal
with which it is desired 10 coat the body.
To the piece Of metal 5 attached the posi-.
tive pole Of a strong ~;alyanic battery or
a powerful dynamo electric machine, and
the negative pole f. connected with the
body. The action o. the powerful current
Of electricity Immediately commences.
covering the bod with a fine film of
metal, which is deposited evenly over the
entire surface. as long as the electrical
current is uninterrupted the deposit Of the
metal continues, and the coating may
thus be made II any desired thickness.
In a length Of time proportiOned 10 the
strength Of the electrical current the en-
tire body may he enveloped in a metallic
shroud an eighth or a quarter Of an inch
in thickness, OF even more If desired. Ey
this imperyious coat the remains are thus
perfectly protected from decay, and may
be preserved for an indefinite number Of
years.
Outside Of its advantages as a method
Of preserving remains this process has
great commercial and artistic value. The
norgues Of the various large cities would
furnish an ample supply of material
which might easily lie worked up into
nickel plated dummies for use by clothiers
or dry goods merchants in displaying gar.
ments and dress goods. With limb and
body arranged in graceful pastures an un
claimed body could readily be transformed
into a valuable work Of art. Dying glad
iators, wrestlers and Greek and Roman
figures could he reproduced in unlimited
numbers. Thus the unknown suicide and
bodies fished from ponds and rivers could
find final resting places in art museums OF
fashionable parlors instead Of being u
and sawed asunder by the ambitious med.
zeal student.
SILVER PLATED ANCESTRY,
One can readily imagine the feelings If
pride with which the man Of "A hundred
years hence would lead his visitor into his
mortuary chamber and point ont each
member Of his silver plated ancestry
beautifully polished and naturally grouped
about the room. There would De in those
days no need for an expensive burial lot
in a fashionable cemetery. and there would
be no use for the costly aud ostcntatiOus
funeral Of tO-day, In those days the un
dertaker would simply be an expert
~electrOplntcr. aud instead ~ u room full %!
sample collins and baskets he would sim
ply exhibit n few pieces of polished meta,
and inquire u his customer: How would
you like 10 have the deceased iiuished, in
copper. nickel, silver or Golds'
To the man Of the future who has a
taste for art and antiques this process
offers great possibilities. Ancestors plated
with silver or nickel wnuld be far more
artistic ornaments than the rusty and an.
Gent suits Ot armOr which are 80 highly
priced IN these days. Armed with lance
and shield, y grandfather thus prepared
would furnish n valuable addition 10 any
collection Of antiques and brio a brac.
Beautiful effects could he produced by
plating bodies with copper. which, by
atmospheric action, soon assumes the APP
pearance Of q beautiful bronze. by the
use Of plush or velvet these brunzes could
easily be mounted after the fashion IT to-
day. \ copper colored relative. well fin
ished and polished, might he exhibited rs
an excellent specimen II repousse work
The use Of gold would produce a piece Of
preserved pedigree more valuable, more
novel aud far more beautiful than the
famous gold faced mummies which con-
tain all that was mortal NJ the Pharaohs
Of Egypt.-Philadelphia Record.
without Taste for Diplomacy.
The new Turkish minister 10 the United
So. A..g IL 49,